Turret for submersible vessels, suitable either as a steering house or water-ballasttank



V. DE TURRBT FOR SUBMERSIBLE vEssELs, SUITABLE EITHER As A STEERING HOUSE OR WATER BALLAST TANK Filed March 1, 1924 gwuehioz Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED I STATES :r AraNT oral VING'ENZO DE FED, OF sPEzIA, ITALY, AssIeNo'R'rosocrETA ANO'NIMA ANsALDo sAN GIORGIO, or srEz-IA, ITALY.

TURRET FOR SUBMERSIBLE VESSELS, SUITABLE EITHER AS A ST ERING HOUSE OR WATER-BALLAST TANK.

Application filed March 1, 1924. Serial No. 696,327.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINGENZO DE Fro, commander, a citizen of the Kingdom of Italy, residing at Spezia, Italy, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Turrets for Submersible Vessels, Suitable Either as a Steering House or Water-Ballast Tank, of which the follow ing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to submarines or submersible vessels, and has for its object to improve their construction, while making them more comfortably habitable and some of their parts more useful in navigation.

The usual turrets in submarines are totally surrounded by light sheet metal structures, which only act as a connection between the turret contours and the hull body, to avoid any increase or change of the floating or propelling resistance of the submarine while submerged.

My invention has for its object to utilize said superstructures in order to improve both buoyancy and habitable conditions of the submarine.

For these purposes, I provide a turret of suitable shape and size, and I provide said turret with means freely allowing the water to enter therein, and controlled means allowing the air to escape when the submersion of the submarine is desired, so that the turret will act as a water-ballast tank. Further I provide said turret with means for supplying compressed air therein to cause the water to be exhausted through the same automatic inlet openings, and with such control apparatus and arrangements as may be required for the surface navigation, thus allowing the turret to be utilized as a convenient steering house.

In the annexed drawing, diagrammatically showing an embodiment of this in vention, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view and Fig. 2 a cross sectional view of my improved turret.

The turret consists of a non-resistant shell L totally surrounding the resistant turret A, connected by its lower edge to the hull or body X of the submarine, and provided with a deck P suitable as an open-bridge house during the surface navigation.

The inner space of the turret L is accessible from the interior of the submarine hull through the watertight door B, while the door C enables one to ascend to the upper deck P. Openings D are provided in the sides of the shell L, which lead to the space ietween A, L and X.

' A characteristic feature of my invention is the use in combination, of said openings D, placed along the corner between the upper shell or false turret L and the hull body X, and of the door C, when the sub incision of the submarine is desired, to re spectively allow the water to enter the false turret and the. air to escape therefrom.

In order to enable the door G to be operated during the submersion phase of the submersible, I provide a suitable control. shaft E operated by a control wheel V projecting inwardly of the resistant hull of the submarine.

The water enclosed between the proper turret A, the hull body X, the false turret L and the deck P will be exhausted by means of compressed air supplied through one or more pipings S provided with pressure gauges F, said air causing the contained water to exhaust through the openings D, so that the false turret may become habitable even in a rough sea, and can be utilized as a sort of steering house, being provided with a floor R, glass doors I, steering wheel T, and any suitable devices and accessories as may be required or desired for surface navigation. I

Of course the structure of the false turret will be watertight, and designed for an air pressure greater than the working or limiting pressure of the safety valve H.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In submarines the combination with a watertight false turret surrounding the proper turret, of means for permitting the water to escape or enter therein, means for supplying compressed air and means for allowing said air to escape, said false turret being thereby adapted to be utilized as desired either as a water-ballast tank or as an habitable steering and like room.

2. In submarines having a false turret according to claim 1, in combination, means adapted to be operated from the interior of the submarine for allowing air to escape whecp submersion of the submarine is desire 3. In submarines, the combination with a signed my name in the presence of two sub- Water-tight false turret sprrounding the tugscribing Witnesses. ret roper, of means or permitting t e Watei to escape or enter therein, means for VINGENZO DE supplying compessecl air thereto, and means Witnesses: for allowing said air to escape therefrom. JOH P. Gnoom, In Witness whereof, I have hereunto ARTURO COLORNI. 

